ReFund Ca sends open Letter to Board members of California Public Colleges and Universities

On Friday, November 4th, organizations of students, teachers, parents, and workers sent the open letter below to the 50 corporate elite that sit on the boards of California's public colleges and universities. The letter calls on those corporate elite to sign the ReFund California pledge to make Wall Street pay for refunding public education. The actions beginning November 9th will demand that the corporate elite on the boards of our colleges and universities sign the pledge. Sign up to be there by visiting the week of action page.

November 4th, 2011Dear board members of California public colleges and universities,Wall Street banks created an economic crisis for our state when their deceptive mortgage-financing scheme collapsed in 2007. Politicians rewarded them with trillions of bailout dollars that have restored record profits and earnings for Wall Street and the wealthy. Many of the corporate elite on the boards of our state’s colleges and universities have done very well recently. So, now – we hope you will agree – it is time for the super-rich and corporations to pay their fair share.The $2.5 billion in new cuts scheduled for December cannot be passed on to students, parents, teachers, nurses, researchers and workers. We have already paid more than our fair share for the crisis Wall Street caused:

Schools and universities have laid off thousands of teachers and workers because Wall Street corporations and the wealthy are paying less in taxes.

Students and parents are paying nearly twice as much in tuition for UC and CSU than we paid in 2007 when Wall Street caused the current crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of students – particularly students of color – have had to drop out or delay education plans.

Students, parents, schools and universities are paying billions more in interest on loans than Wall Street has to pay for loans from the federal government.

Cuts in research budgets have set back progress on improving public health, maintaining a safe environment, and many other areas.

We can only have affordable, equitable, and empowering schools, universities, and essential services if everyone pays their fair share. We have united as a broad coalition of students, parents, teachers, nurses, researchers and workers who have paid more than our fair share. We need to both change our tax system and reduce mortgage debt for Wall Street corporations and the super-rich to pay their fair share. Changing our tax system and reducing underwater mortgage debt to Wall Street would end the foreclosure crisis, improve the economy, and boost revenue for education and essential services.As a leader with a key educational institution, we ask you to pledge to support five specific measures for all of us to pay our fair share and use all of the resources of our schools, universities, and state to reverse cuts and tuition hikes. To stand with us, please sign the enclosed pledge form and return it by mail to:ReFund Californiac/o Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment3655 S. Grand Avenue, Suite 250Los Angeles, CA 90007You can also scan the pledge and email it to info@calorganize.org.

On Friday, November 4th, organizations of students, teachers, parents, and workers sent the open letter below to the 50 corporate elite that sit on the boards of California's public colleges and universities. The letter calls on those corporate elite to sign the ReFund California pledge to make Wall Street pay for refunding public education. The actions beginning November 9th will demand that the corporate elite on the boards of our colleges and universities sign the pledge. Sign up to be there by visiting the week of action page.

ABOUT US: ReFUND California is a coalition of organizations throughout California committed to exposing the unfairness of the state’s current economic reality and engaging in public campaigns to force the changes that are necessary.